【英语趣味课堂】加利福尼亚-California

 California is best known for its coastline and beaches. The state has nearly 2,000 km of coastline, so the state is known as a surfer's paradise¹. From the tall cliffs³ that line the coast, you are almost always guaranteed a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean, especially at sunset.

 

The state is also famous for its giant redwood trees. These trees can grow to be over 100 meters tall. Some trees are so wide you can drive a car through them. These trees have a long life, for they can live for over 1,000 years. One tree in California is over 2,200 years old.

 

On the eastern side of California, you will find the Sierra Mountains. These mountains start in Alaska and run all the way to Chile, in South America. People usually think of California as a warm place, but the Sierra Mountains provide a great playground for both skiers and snowboarders.

 

In the Sierras you can find Yosemite National Park. This is by far the most popular national park in California, because it offers a little bit of everything: tall mountains, high cliffs, deep forests, wide meadows⁴, great hiking trails, and beautiful views everywhere you look.

 

In Southern California, the weather can be very hot and dry, so not surprisingly you will find many deserts in the south. These dry lands are home to many wildlife such as iguana⁵, foxes, coyotes, eagles, bighorn sheep and rattlesnakes.

 

California is not all wild terrain⁶. It is also home to large areas of farm land. In fact, California produces nearly half of all the fruit and vegetables grown in the United States. For this reason, California is sometimes referred to as America's fruit basket.

 

 

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guaranteed or cliffs

 

From the tall cliffs, you are almost always guaranteed a beautiful view, especially at sunset. 

If something is 'guaranteed' it is certain. In this case, it is certain that you will have a beautiful view. A 'cliff²' is a high rock that has at least one very steep side. If you stand at the edge of a cliff you can see straight to the ground. Notice the following:

 

There is a cliff near here where you can jump off into the water.

You are always guaranteed to have a good time with him.

surfer's paradise

 

California has nearly 2,000 km of coastline, so the state is known as a surfer's paradise. 

If a person likes surfing then a location that has good surfing is 'paradise' or like a dream for him. We can add 'paradise' after any noun⁷ to show that it is something that is a good place for him. For example, a place surrounded by ocean with lots of fish would be a fisherman's paradise. Notice the following:

 

The market in Peru is a jewelry⁸ collector's paradise.

This area is really a seafood⁹ lover's paradise.

not surprisingly

 

The weather in the south can be very hot and dry, so not surprisingly, you will find many deserts there.

You can use 'not surprisingly' along with a statement that is logical¹⁰ or obvious. The information you are giving is not a surprise, it makes sense. Notice the following:

 

I ate a lot of fried¹¹ food yesterday, so not surprisingly, I don't feel that well today.

Not surprisingly, after the heavy rains many people had problems with water in their homes.

wildlife

 

These dry lands are home to many wildlife, such as iguana, foxes, and rattlesnakes. 

'Wildlife' includes animals such as birds, snakes, mammals, etc, that live in a wild area. Animals in zoos are not considered wildlife. Notice the following:

 

There is not much wildlife in the city.

People who love wildlife will think this park is very interesting. 

terrain

 

California is not all wild terrain, but also home to large areas of farm land. 

We use the word 'terrain' to talk about land that is still in its natural form and has not been changed by civilization. Notice the following:

 

You should wear supportive shoes because the terrain is very rugged¹².

The terrain in that area makes construction very difficult.

 

1 paradise   

n.伊甸乐园，天堂

参考例句：

• My house had a small backyard,the paradise of children.我那幢房子有一个小后院，那是孩子们玩耍的乐园。
• On a hot day a dip in the sea is sheer paradise.热天洗个海水澡是十分令人惬意的事。

2 cliff   

n.悬崖，峭壁

参考例句：

• The cliff edge is dangerous and should be railed.崖边危险，应该用栏杆围起来。
• He took the measure of the cliff before he climbed it.他把悬崖的高度估量一下后再攀登。

3 cliffs   

n.悬崖，峭壁（cliff的复数形式）

参考例句：

• the chalk cliffs of southern England 英格兰南部的白垩质峭壁
• Local folklore has it that prehistoric men drove cattle over these cliffs. 当地民间传说中称，史前人类把野牛从这些悬崖上驱赶下去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 meadows   

草地，牧场， （河边的）低洼地( meadow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The trail wends its way through leafy woodland and sunny meadows. 这条小径穿过葱郁的林区和洒满阳光的草地。
• They have railed the meadows off from the new railway cutting. 他们已用栏杆把草地和新铁道的路堑隔离开来。

5 iguana   

n.美洲大蜥蜴，鬣鳞蜥

参考例句：

• With an iguana,you really don't have to say surprise.惊喜两字已经不足以形容这只鬣鳞蜥了。
• I'm going to turn on my computer and make a movie starring my pet iguanadj.打开计算机准备制作一部关于我的宠物蜥蜴的电影。

6 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

7 noun   

n.名词

参考例句：

• What kind of noun is this?这是哪类名词？
• This word is a collective noun.这个词是个集体名词。

8 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

9 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

10 logical   

adj.逻辑(上)的，符合逻辑的；合乎常理的

参考例句：

• It is logical that the book is expensive.书贵是很自然的事。
• This is undoubtedly logical.这显然是顺理成章的。

11 fried   

adj.油煎的；油炒的

参考例句：

• I ate everything fried.所有油炸的我都吃。
• I prefer fried peanuts.我选择炸花生。

12 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。